Maya Georgi
Contact Maya Georgi on X Contact Maya Georgi by Email View all posts by Maya Georgi June 11, 2026
Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images; Stuart Franklin/Getty Images; Jean Catuffe/Getty Images Over the years, the songs that provide a soundtrack to the World Cup have become a significant part of the tournament, almost as important as the games. Some anthems have reached far beyond the field to offer a true moment of unity (“Cup of Life,” anyone?) As the 2026 games kick off, we surveyed all of the official FIFA songs and anthems (not soundtrack singles) since 1990, and highlighted the most inescapable bops, along with some that may have gotten lost to time. Check them out below.
-
‘The Time of Our Lives,’ Il Divo feat. Toni Braxton (2006)
Image Credit: ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP/Getty Images For the 2006 tournament, held in Germany, European classical group Il Divo and R&B icon Toni Braxton leaned into their strengths as musicians with a ballad-like entry into World Cup anthems, switching up the format of hype-up tracks. Against the swell of an orchestra, their voices unite to sing about the “glory and the pain” of making it to the big game.
